Preparedness averts misfortune (Part 2)

Emperor's chambers

Vallabh walked in with the medicine pill. "Take a break, your highness. You have been working non-stop since the first prahar. The kingdom can only flourish when its monarch is well enough."

Vallabh was well aware of his nephew's workaholic habits. Moreover, in the past few years, the emperor's heart had started to weaken. Dizzy spells, palpitations and raktchaap* were the frequent ailments which were becoming a cause for worry for the imperial physicians.

As a result, many ayurvedic* concoctions had been tried but apart from a slight easing of the symptoms, they hadn't been able to cure or stop the ailment from flaring up over and over again.

Of course, the emperor was equally responsible for this ineffectiveness of medicine. Neither did he fully comply with the restrictions on his food nor did he change his lifestyle!

Raja Indraneel wasn't particularly close to the empress dowager nor to any of the queens, emotionally. For him, they were his duties, or pawns in the power game. The same went for most of his offspring, who in his eyes, were only looking for benefits out of him.

All in all, it was only Vallabh who could try his best to emotionally blackmail the emperor.

"We just have this last pile of memorandums to look at. Don't nag Us for the next hour," Raja Indraneel was back to his imperious behavior, trying to suppress his uncle through coercive means.

"Hmph, as if there won't be any more work flowing in after this! All your ministers and officials are useless. If a proposal is good, instead of recognising it, they want to use the opportunity to show their might by trying to suppress it. No one is bothered about the kingdom's welfare, always busy fighting the power battle in the royal court. Is it a wonder if your administrative work is a never-ending loop?" He grumbled, mostly to himself.

Raja Indraneel leaned back against the cushioned seat and set aside the quill with which he had been putting his remarks on each scroll.

Seeing his nephew's exhausted face, he changed the topic.

"I heard that you managed to scare the mighty ex-minister, Kirtidev today," Vallabh's voice held a faint excitement.

Used to being the emperor's closest confidant, Vallabh had always secretly resented the people who formed Raja Indraneel's inner circle. Due to his powerless background, Vallabh had never been qualified to hold an official post and also felt a sense of inferiority when he saw all the learned ministers around the emperor.

He knew that it was petty on his part to feel this way, but...

Amongst all these, Kirtidev was someone whom Raja Indraneel trusted and respected the most. And hence, Vallabh had always held a grudge against the old man. Through his sources, he heard that the ex-minister had emerged from the emperor's inner chamber with a bloodless face this afternoon.

Something major must have happened for an experienced man like Kirtidev to lose his composure publicly.

"How old are you, really?" Raja Indraneel threw a disdainful look at his uncle.

He had a fair idea of his maternal uncle's thought process and found his antics to be childish at times. But he was the only one who qualified as his own kin and hence, the emperor shut his eyes and tolerated such behavior. In fact, sometimes he even found it hilarious.

After a few minutes of pondering over something, Raja Indraneel spoke up. "I feel sad for Kirtidev. He lost his most competent son and was left with the trashy offspring. The only remaining talent that he has in the house, either he is not aware of it or is scared of it!"

Bali Mansion, 3 a.m.

Katyayani had just returned from her 'trek' around Dima city and was greeted by Eka, who had been snoozing on a stool right next to the pavilion's entrance.

"I have already told you not to wait for me. Don't you have any faith in my capabilities, Eka?" Katyayani berated the older woman softly.

For the past two nights, since Trini had gone back to the mountain, Eka had been staying up to see Katyayani come back safely after her nightly regime. Trini was supposed to be back the same night, but unexpectedly matters at the Dharamshala had taken her longer than expected.

"It's not an ordeal to wait for you and Trini would be back by tomorrow night, anyways," said Eka.

While Katyayani washed up and got ready for bed, Eka was filling her in about the happenings in the house.

"It seems that the lamps are still blazing in Old Master's pavilion. Even though our people couldn't find out the exact issue, there is definitely something which is amiss on that side," she told Katyayani.

The young girl's hand paused mid-way while tying the belt around her thin nightgown's waist. She was wearing a pale violet, diaphanous singlet which reached upto her thighs. Used to the cold weather of Mandh mountain, Dima did not feel as chilly.

Moreover, the fireplace was cheerily burning in one corner of the room, keeping the temperature nice and warm.

"It is going to be a hectic day tomorrow. I wonder what is so important for Grandfather to lose his sleep before a big party at home…" She spoke her thoughts out loud.

Kirtidev's chambers

Bhadrak brought a steaming cup of turmeric milk infused with honey and placed it on the desk in front of Kirtidev.

"Master, it is really late. Let's figure this out slowly. I am afraid our people won't be able to find out everything in one night," he cajoled the old man who had been stone-faced ever since he came back from the royal palace earlier in the day.

*Raktchaap - high blood pressure

*Muhurat - is the most beneficial time chosen to execute or start an event so that the task is carried out without any obstacle. A shubh muhurat helps in concentrating the energy of the planets and other astrological factors in an auspicious way so as to nullify the evil influences and make the result of the work performed most fruitful.

*Ayurvedic - is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent.